Secrets and Lies
by Amles80
Summary: Sandra Bennet always had a feeling that she was meant for something more. She was not the sweet innocent girl everyone thought she was. But no one saw that until Claire's grandmother came into her life...


Secrets and lies. That was what her life had become like since she married Noah Bennet.

Not that Sandra regretted it. She had always had a feeling she was meant for something special; she was something more than the sweet innocent girl everyone thought she was.

Noah was handsome, a little dangerous, exciting. Of course she had said yes when he asked her to marry him. She knew he was kind of trouble. She invited it, wanted it.

The problem was, she loved him but he never shared any of his secrets with her. She knew he had plenty. But she never asked. That was against the rules; they were unwritten, but she had a gut feeling that told her to wait. Something was going to come her way.

First, Claire came her way. A baby that Noah gave to her to love and protect.

And of course, she loved the girl deeply – within moments, she felt like she had always been a mother. But that didn't mean that she was blind. Noah was stupid if he didn't think she could understand that this wasn't a normal adoption and not an ordinary child. "No questions", he said. He had a way of looking at her that said trust me, I know what I am doing.

But Sandra never trusted him. Not the way he thought she did. She became this other person with him, the one he thought he wanted or seemed to want.

"I'm the good wife", she murmured, "yes, Mr. Muggles, yes; I'm a good naïve woman, don't you think?"

She laughed. Mr. Muggles knew better than to listen to her the way Noah did. Mr. Muggles knew that when she had been Claire's mother for just a couple of weeks, they had a visitor.

"You can't tell Noah that I've been here", the black-haired woman said. "I'm Angela Petrelli, and I'm Claire's grandmother."

Sandra had been scared at first. The woman was small, but very authoritarian, and Sandra could tell that she was powerful. Dangerous, even – if Claire had been given to her just like that, maybe she could be taken away just as easily?

But Angela Petrelli explained to her that she had no intention of taking Claire away from her care. She explained that the girl had been given to Noah so that he and his wife, Sandra, could protect her and raise her. Angela Petrelli said that she wasn't supposed to take any part in the girl's upbringing; she wasn't even supposed to be there.

Sandra supposed that this woman didn't trust her and her husband to do their job good enough, that she was there to check up on them, evaluate them, and judge them.

But then she realized that it wasn't about that. No, this was just a woman who wanted to see her grandchild. She was grateful for the love Claire was given. She just wanted to watch her, her own flesh and blood.

Sandra trusted Angela Petrelli. It was a female thing. A man could never understand a mother's heart, and knowing this was Sandra's secret. It made smiling at Noah so much easier. It made them equals.

Sandra realized that Noah must know this woman well, because she spoke of him fondly. Maybe a little too well for a married man. Of course, he never mentioned Angela Petrelli to her, but he didn't have to. She understood some things now.

Angela Petrelli encouraged Sandra to talk. About Claire, about her life, and her dreams. Sandra didn't know much about Claire's grandmother, but she started to like her. And then Lyle was born. It didn't change a thing.

Angela Petrelli didn't come often, and always when Noah was away somewhere. She seemed to know exactly where Noah was and when he was coming back. Sandra figured that this woman knew everything, maybe she even controlled everything. She decided that Claire shouldn't know about her, and to prevent that, she never came alone since Claire was old enough to speak. There was a tall, silent black man at her side.

"He takes Claire's memories. He has taken yours too, Sandra. You don't know it, but Noah has brought him to your house many times, and he will do it again, to make you forget things he doesn't want you to know. But I'm not doing that to you, Sandra. I trust you. I know that you understand me."

Oh, yes. She did understand. Even when the calm, serious woman started looking at her differently. She started touching her hand, her hair, when they talked. They talked a lot, but then their silences grew deeper with every touch. Oh, Sandra understood what Angela Petrelli wanted, what she needed.

There was an attraction between them. Strange at first, but soon, it felt like the most natural thing in the world. It was like a delicate little game, like playing cards. Who was going to play the first card? An exciting waiting had begun. Sandra was sure that she was going to be the one to do it, to say something that enticed something into happening. On the other hand, it was more likely that Angela Petrelli should be the one to make that move, because she had a way of smiling so knowingly; her smile made Sandra blush. She knew that the older woman knew how beautiful she was, how irresistible and daunting.

But it was Sandra who pulled the other woman in for a hug, once the need had grown too strong to fight. Oh, it was a bit strange, because she was taller and she suddenly felt like she was protecting the smaller but older and more powerful woman. She kissed her forehead; stroke her hair, her back.

Angela Petrelli allowed her to do that. She didn't say anything when Sandra took the pins out of her hair and made it fall down onto her shoulders. She even made a small, approving sound when Sandra ran her fingers through the silky black hair and she rested her head on her shoulders.

But then Angela Petrelli lifted her head up and looked Sandra straight in the eyes. Sandra's heart started racing. Her knees were suddenly so weak, and she knew that she was entirely in this woman's power. For just one moment, she had been the stronger one. Not now. Not when Angela Petrelli looked at her like that, like a feline who didn't aim to please exactly, but knew that anyone would be pleased to see to it that she was satisfied, sated.

There was no turning back from that moment. Angela Petrelli devoured her.

Sandra knew now that this was what she had been waiting for. Noah could do whatever he wanted; he could keep his secrets, because she already knew as much about them as she needed, there was a Company, and it had very little to do with paper. She was not made for such violent actions he had to commit, although she knew she would fight until her last breath for her children if she had to. No, she had something much better than that: she had a companion now. The powerful lady boss Noah secretly had a crush on – she was sure of it, although she had never seen them together – was her lover.

Sometimes, Sandra looked with sadness at Claire. Her life was not going to be easy, Sandra had been warned about that, but she had also been told that there was nothing she could do about it. Claire was still a very young girl, so innocent and small. Sandra couldn't help but wonder what secrets she was going to have when she was older. She knew that Claire was going to have secrets. She knew that secrets were unavoidable in the Bennetrelli family.


End file.
